BANGBANGSAN

Thanks, Thomas!

Neil Do you have photos of the whole scabbard?

The kanji is 兵(兵器-Weapon) 甲（Class/Grade A) 第貳七九番 (Number 279)

My Profile photo is 大威德明王/Yamantaka, he and 大黑天/Mahakala look very similar.

@Bruce Pennington This sword is intriguing; it appears old. It might be wartime Chōsen/Korean-made rather than a Chinese knockoff, but I'm not sure though. The handle of a Korean sword is generally a bit shorter and thicker than that of a Japanese sword, and the blade is somewhat straighter compared to a Japanese sword. The engravings on the blade of a Korean sword are mostly in intaglio, while on Japanese swords, the characters are typically in intaglio, and the designs are often in relief. I'll share a few pictures of Korean swords for everyone to reference. Here are some Videos about Korean Hwando and Japanese sword

That is a nice one! It was probably made around mid-1944.

Scabbard strap

@Stegel Ernie, do you think the handle and fuchi are authentic, or do they appear to be replicas that have been artificially aged?

@Bruce Pennington @Kiipu @Stegel @PNSSHOGUN Check this out: is it an original handle with a Polish-made blade or the handle is a Polish(Reliced) repro as well?

Bruce If you flip the photo, you will see that the serial number (名 36722 ) matches the number on the blade and is on the correct side. I agree with you, this one looks legit. PS: According to Donald Barnes, #37118 has the same mark on the fuchi (岐 名 Cannonball)as this #36722 but features a brass tsuba.

Bruce The Governor-General of Chōsen(朝鮮総督府) uses the 575 Paulownia seal. The Ministry of Justice (法務省) and the Imperial Guard (皇宮護衛/警察) also employ the 353 Paulownia as their seal.

Your dirk, with the 5 7 5 paulownia pattern, is intended for the Governor’s Headquarters of Korea. The Railroad Bureau uses the 3 5 3 paulownia pattern.

It looks like Manchuko Gunto

The Mei on the Taichi that Mantetsu gifted to some employees who have worked for 25 years is reversed.

Bruce Are you looking for one?

It looks like 7 ， matching the 七 on the right.

It was sold by Showa22, right? If I remember correctly.

You're welcome, Prince. BTW: If you could pair it with the original leather tassel or simply not use the repro tassel, it would look much better

There are several instances of the reverse '東' and '壽' marks, primarily found on the copper handle, as pointed out by Thomas in the data, including your #3068. The reason behind this phenomenon remains unclear. I believe it might simply be an error by a factory worker. Additionally, keep in mind that there are occurrences of upside-down, sideways, incorrect, or overlapping stamps on Type 95, which are not uncommon.

@Bruce Pennington This Blade #160869 might be transferred to Nagoya Arsenal for completion or repurposed and sent to Nagoya Arsenal for rework. Initially, it was expected to have an Ijima band and iron tsuba. The last batch produced by Ijima spanned from serial number 159031 to 161752. Around serial number 160075, they transitioned to using steel guards. Ijima halted production in March 1945 due to B-29 bombings.

@Kiipu Correction In the Chinese lunar calendar, 9月9日（九月初九）重陽 in 1938 should be October 31st. https://wannianrili....-10-31__wannianrili/ PS: 人日 正月初七 1938年2月6日 上巳 三月初三 1938年4月3日 端午 五月初5五 1938年6月2日 七夕 七月初七 1938年8月2日

I think It should be 節句 instead of 節旬

I'm with Steve,It should be 節句 instead of 節旬 昭和十三(1938) 戊寅(The year of the tiger) 旧(Old/Former-lunar calendar) 節句(Sekku) 吉日(Auspicious/Lucky day). The 五節句(Five Sekku")refer to specific traditional Japanese celebrations: 人日(Jinjitsu)on January 7th, 上已(Jōshi)on March 3rd, 端午(Tango)on May 5th, 七夕(Tanabata)on July 7th, and 重陽(Chōyō)on September 9th. 1938年昭和13年の節句・五節句 節句 日付 旧暦 人日の節句(じんじつのせっく) 1月7日(金曜日)(大安) 1937年12月6日 上巳の節句(じょうしのせっく) 3月3日(木曜日)(先負) 1938年2月2日 端午の節句(たんごのせっく) 5月5日(木曜日)(先負) 1938年4月6日 七夕の節句(たなばたのせっく・しちせきのせっく) 7月7日(木曜日)(先負) 1938年6月10日 重陽の節句(ちょうようのせっく) 9月9日(金曜日)(仏滅) 1938年7月16日 Based on the traditional calendar, December 6th, 1937, appears favorable for construction, but it did not align precisely with the 戊寅年. February 2nd, 1938, seems inauspicious for various activities. It's advisable to avoid construction on April 6th and June 10th. July 16th, 1938, (重陽), is suitable for ceremonies, blessings, trading, and similar activities. However, there's no specific mention of its suitability for construction. Therefore, July 16th, 1938 (重陽), seems the most probable date for consideration.

@Bruce Pennington

The hiragana written in white paint appears to resemble the pronunciation of '特二' (トク二)。